Customer Reviews

RARE Hokkaido Black Watermelon 10 Seed-$6,100 per Fruit

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I dont understand why Hirt's is recieving so many bad reviews. I ordered these seeds and got them within 3 days. The product was undamaged and came with great, detailed instructions. I started them in a seed starter I purchased from the hardware store and have seen FAST, FLAWLESS GERMINATION..!! A lot of the seeds Hirt's carries are exotics and may not be right for your Zone. You cant expect them to grow without doing your homework first. Study up, read the all of the instructions, and explore all options before blaming the seeds or the company.

I received eleven seeds instead of ten, of which eight sprouted. Pretty good odds since I started them inside in early spring to give them a better chance since I live in Washington and this year our winter was pretty severe. All eight are still growing well in the garden, all of them have a melon growing and doing pretty well. I don't know how big they will get as our August has been cooler than normal but I'm hopeful and very happy with how well they've done for being watermelons growing in Washington state! They're not black skinned yet, I assume they'll turn color as they mature more, but they are a nice deep green.

I started growing these in my house in march. Ever single hirts seed i planted has come up and growing strong. They get a full days sunlight and i am shocked at the strenght of these seeds! I tried just two, as i dont have room for everyone of them, i have two very hardy black watermelon plants!
I also have 2 hardy tiger melon plants growing so fast i need to get them into the ground soon. So far, Hirts is looking to be the only place to get my seeds. I bought livingston seeds and out of 10 i only have 2 plants. Thats disapointing.
I plan to share a picture when i get it of my Hirts plants, i have 10 Black seaman tomato plants, 10 black krim tom., 15 roma tom., 10 beefsteak tom., 10 black trifle tom., and more. Thank you Hirt's for your fast shipping and reliable seeds, my greenhouse will be filled with great food and my cold storage is waiting for fresh canned products! I cant wait to get my next shipment of seeds!

Used optimum environmental setup to germinate these seeds. Achieved 0% germination, should be 90%+ for good quality seed. 0 out of 10 germinated.

The number one reason seed doesn't germinate is due to a failure to maintain adequate moisture in the growing media. Seed needs water to break the seed coat. If the media is allowed to dry out, the embryo dies. Care should be exercised in watering - heavy watering may disrupt the media. Light watering or misting is preferred. The media should be light and well drained, with a neutral pH, and sterile. Using a commercial media formulated for germinating seed is best for the novice. A sterile media and sterile growing containers reduce the risk of pathogen attack. Media can be sterilized in an oven at 180 degrees F for 30 minutes; containers should be clean and can be sterilized with a 5-10% solution of Clorox. Densuke (Hakkaido) melons, which are a hybrid watermelon, should germinate in 4-5 days or so at 90 degrees F and require no other special requirements to break seed dormancy.

Hirts attitude, when presented with this background info on how I approached the project, was basically "Tough luck". They refused to replace the seed or refund my money, and would not even offer an explanation.

As seed ages its viability declines, particularly if it is not stored correctly. A good seed outlet will routinely test the viability of its seed by germinating a few of them and tossing out the old stuff. My conclusion is that they sold me bunk. Don't do business with these people.

The seeds arrived as scheduled and in good condition. My only problem is that I was charged full price for shipping and handling on each packet of seeds ( I bought three) but they were mailed in one package. On a matter of principal, I don't think people should be charged for services they don't recieve.

I ordered these last season. All seeds germinated. I had many tiny melon buds, most of which never grew into a full sized melon. This could be because of the heat in the south, or lack of shade. I watered daily so I know that wasn't it. The two melons that did grow to a suitable size were left on the plant for weeks to mature to black but they never did, the just stayed the green color. Flavor wasn't anything special, regular watermelons at the store are far superior in flavor. I think this one might not be well suited to the home gardener. I have ordered many seeds from hirts, and have had pretty good luck with all my seeds from them. I've only had two not germinate at all, toad lilies and Himilayian Honeysuckle. And one tomato variety was diseased (Wispiscicon Peach tomato) with only one seed not carrying the disease. Overall I've been satisfied with my purchases from Hirts and will continue to order from them inclucing this season. They always have the most unique varieties you can't find at the hardware store and likely didn't know existed.

Length:: 0:34 Mins

Well, after much deliberation, online research and hand-wringing I took the plunge and ordered Hirt's Hokkaido Black Watermelon seeds. What I simply cannot fathom is how this company can sleep at night charging customers in excess of three dollars to send a half-ounce packet of seed through the mail. That's nearly three times the cost of the seeds themselves. C'mon Hirt's, stop fleecing the very people who are keeping your company in business.

You have to be really patient with these seeds. I planted most of them inside in pots, and I planted a few outside in the garden. Both the indoor and outdoor seeds took about 3-4 weeks to germinate. I had completely given up on them and I was thinking about tossing them out when and all of a sudden they sprung up! My guess is that the seeds were waiting for warmer weather. If you start them inside when the weather is cool then you may want try using a heat mat to encourage growth. I am really excited about these melons. I can't wait to try them!

Okay folks, those of you who want to see what a mature Densuke watermelon looks like, select "view all pictures." I have uploaded two views, one picture shows a mature 15 pound Densuke; while the other is an interior view of what the watermelon looks like after it's been cut in half.

When properly ripened, Densukes are very sweet - similar in sweetness to a Crimson Sweet. I have found their texture to be a bit crisper and firmer than most U.S. watermelons. However, in my opinion, they have one major drawback. They are a very "seedy" watermelon. The 15 pound one (in the picture) had over 800 seeds in it. A similarly sized Crimson Sweet would have around 400. (Densuke seeds are more than twice the size of a Crimson Sweet seed.)

Please note, it can be hard to get Densuke seeds to sprout. I attribute that to the fact that they have a thick and tough outer shell. I recommend you soak them in water for two or three days before you plant them or put them in seed trays. My Densuke seeds took 3 to 4 weeks to sprout. So don't give up on them for at least a month and be sure you start them a week or two earlier than your other watermelon seeds. In comparison, my Crimson Sweet seeds started popping their little heads out in just 5 days. Out of the 10 seeds I ordered only 8 sprouted. Still, I don't consider that a bad ratio.

Last year, here in South-Central Idaho, I was able to raise to maturity 12 Densuke watermelons. It's an interesting variety but far too seedy for my tastes. Plus, in my opinion, the Crimson Sweets taste just as good and have half the seeds.